Container blank



Jan. 18, 1938. w. G. REAGAN CONTAINER BLA-NK Filed Aug. 29, 1936 INVENTOR.

%Zfe1- as an, 5-? a ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

It has long been customary, in the retail vending of popped corn, to package the same in ordinary commercial paper bags or boxes in various sizes, depending upon the charged price. The vendor 5 has been under the necessity of carrying a stock of bags of different sizes and a package of this kind is somewhat difficult to handle during consumption of the popped com. A reasonably grease impervious bag is relatively expensive.

The object of my present invention is to provide a paper blank so formed that a vendor may readily develop it into a conical container in any one of a plurality of sizes to form a container of desired capacity, which container may be more readily handled by the consumer and the cost of which, to the merchant, will be materially less than the preformed bags now commonly used.

While the blank has been primarily designed as a popped corn container, it will, of course, be readily understood that containers formed from the blanks will be equally useful in the vending of a large variety of articles.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention:

Fig. 1 is a face view of the blank,

Fig. 2 a perspective view of one of the blanks formed into a large capacity container,

Fig. 3 a similar view of the same blank formed into a smaller capacity container, and

Fig. 4 a perspective view showing the blank in the preliminary stage of development into a container.

In the drawing, It? indicates the main body of the blank, a portion of the edge of which, as indicated at I I, is arcuate, struck approximately from a center I2 in or near the opposite edge portion I3 which is straight, or nearly straight. The arcuate portion I I at one end is flanked by an edge portion l4 and at the other end by an edge portion I5 which, in turn, is flanked by an edge portion It which is substantially parallel with edge portion I4 and connects with one endof edge portion I3. At the corner formed by edges I3 and I4 is a locking tongue 11 which, at its junction with edge portion It, forms an entrant notch I8.

Formed through the main body I adjacent the arcuate edge II and variably spaced from edge M are slits A and B.

The above described blank is conveniently formed of comparatively thin, but reasonably stifi and tough paper, although, of course, it can be formed from any other suitable sheet material.

The user, by grasping edge I6 and swinging the same upwardly and inwardly about an axis substantially parallel with said edge to roll the blank into a loose roll, as. shown in Fig. 4, may readily insert tongue I! into-slit A, whereupon, by placing the two hands at opposite ends of the rolled blank, as shown in Fig. 4, andsimultaneously exerting axial pressure and oppositely rotating the hands in the direction indicated by the arrow, the blank may be tightened to true conical form as a container, as illustrated in Fig. 3. If the tongue I! be inserted in the slit B, a large size container will be produced, as indicated in Fig. 2. The blank is dubbed off at I in order that the adjacent portion of the blank, when brought to container form, will, by reason of its resiliency, snuggle against the inner surface of the cone. This dubbing off is not absolutely essential but it contributes materially to the production of a, better looking container for when the blank is so formed, the edge portions I5 and I6 hug the inner surface of the cone without -forming a loose flap.

It will be readily understood that by the simple expedient of providing a multiplicity of slits like the slits A and B variably spaced, the available range of container sizes may be increased. The arcuate edge II develops into an even ended cone, which, of course, is desirable for looks though not absolutely essential.

It is. desirable also that the edge I3 be straight from edge IE to approximately slightly beyond center point I2 and the remaining portion continue to its junction with the notch I8 at a very slight angle, as indicated in Fig. 1, as otherwise there is a slight tendency to looseness of the edge portion I3 along the outer face of the cone.

When the blank is conified, the apex of the cone will be adjacent edge I3-I3 and in the claims this line is considered a base line, a medial perpendicular to which will divide the blank into two halves, one of which halves will carry the tongue and slits.

As stated above the apex of the cone formed from the blank will be adjacent the edge I3, l3, one corner of which carries the tongue H. The slit for receiving this tongue must be in the upper half of the blank, considering the apex line as the base line.

I claim as my invention:

1. A blank for conical packages, comprising a polygonal sheet of flexible somewhat resilient material, such as paper, provided at one corner with a locking tongue flanking a re-entrant notch and also having a tongue-receiving slit within that half of the blank which carries the tongue and within the quadrant of said half most remote from said tonsua.

wherein the edge portion of the blank opposite the tongue is outwardly arcuate.

5. A blank for conical packages, comprising a polygonal sheet of flexible somewhat resilient material, such as paper, provided at one corner of the base edge with a locking tongue flanking a re-entrant notch, and also having a tonguereceiving slit within that portion of the blank which lies above the medial line of the blank substantially parallel the base line.

6. A blank for conical packages, comprising a polygonal sheet of flexible somewhat resilient material, such as paper, provided at one corner of the base edge with a locking tongue flanking a reentrant notch, and also having two spaced tongue-receiving slits within that half of the blank which lies above the medial line substantially paralleling the base line.

'7. A blank of the character specified in claim 5 wherein the edge portion of the blank opposite the tongue is outwardly arcuate.

8; A blank of the, character specified in claim 6 I wherein the edge of the blank opposite the tongue is outwardly arcuate.

l WALTER G. REAGAN. 

